I recently ended up with a rental Kia Rondo to cover one of our long-term test cars while it was being repaired. I was on the lot with the rental guy and we did a little Rondo walk around. There wasn't any damage, so I signed the paper, hopped in and started it up. The tire-pressure warning light was illuminated.
Me: "Hey, oh...Wait up!" He came back and I told him it had a warning light. And this part is verbatim:
Rental guy: "Yeah, it's had that for a while. We're not sure what's wrong."
"Well, did you check the tire pressure?"
"No."
"That's probably the problem. Do you want to check it?"
"No, it'll be okay."
"Okay!" I drove off and the thing shook like a leaf on the open road. I checked the tire pressures when I got back to our office and the right-rear tire was at 12 psi. Twelve!
Most rental agencies will have roadside assistance. But don't assume the rental people know more than you do. Having at least a tire pressure gauge with you when you rent a car isn't a bad idea, either. You can find general rental car advice on Edmunds here.
Do you have any other rental car tips to share?
Mike Magrath, Vehicle Testing Assistant
By greenpony
on February 2, 2010
11:23 AM
Make sure your gas gauge isn't on E. Verify that you know how to work the wipers and headlights (and radio if you like fiddling with it while driving). Adjust your mirrors. I guess that's about it.
By brn
on February 2, 2010
11:33 AM
That's just sloppy. Seeing that you were at a dealership (dropping off the other vehicle), he should have asked to use the dealership's gauge and air.
By vvk
on February 2, 2010
11:43 AM
What would have happened if it did not have the tire pressure monitor?
I always check tire pressure when I pick up rentals and loaners. Also fluid levels, brake pads (if visible), wipers and spare. It's my safety, not theirs.
By shaddai
on February 2, 2010
11:56 AM
I had the same thing happen to me, except at that point I chose to choose another vehicle. I think I ended up worse off, but they never had a good vehicle. All the rentals wanted to kill me.
By ocramidajzj
on February 2, 2010
04:36 PM
Man that is dej-vu. I once rented a Nissan Armada and it's TMPS light was on. I hadn't caught it before I left the rental agency so I just stopped and filled up all the tires- which were about 10psi down. The light went off. After an hour of driving the TMPS light came back on at which point I called the rental agency and told them the issue. They essentially said the same thing- they didn't know what was wrong but "it should be alright". I returned the car and told them that I no longer wanted the car and would not pay for the time I had had it. They looked at me like I was mad. I said you're basically telling me to ignore a safety hazard and they continued to argue that the light had been sporadically failing but the tires were fine. 10 psi down? I don't think so. It amazes me the level of ignorance people express when it comes to automobiles. Driving around a 1-4 ton hunk of steel with not a care in the world. Frightening.
By ocramidajzj
on February 2, 2010
04:41 PM
Oh and the funny thing is that all the rental car agencies I've used plainly state that a flat or a blow-out is fix on the customers dime.
Don't even get me started about the time another agency said that a bubble in the tire was nothing to worry about. Bunch of banana heads.
By brn
on February 3, 2010
08:43 AM
ocramidajzj, that's the kind of attitude that got a certain car rental company in trouble in CA. The customer returned the car, complaining of brake problems. The company did nothing. The next owner had a case of unintended acceleration and the brakes were not effective at stopping the car.
The rental company not caring about a safety issue was more to blame for those particular deaths than Toyota was.
That's what happens when you pay bottom dollar.